Few histories are, by their nature, as scurrilous and salacious as that of the early Roman emperors, and Anthony Blond undertakes this exposé of the lives of the Caesars with relish. Julius, usually presented as a glorious general, is revealed as an arrogant charmer and a swank; Augustus was so self-conscious about his height that he put lifts in his sandals. But they were nothing compared to Caligula, Claudius, and Nero.

"This is the sort of book that gives ancient history a good name."—Sunday Telegraph (London)